Skip to main content
Partner logo
Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link
Gamecocks+
No. 5 Gamecocks Host No. 12 Florida On Saturday
Women's Tennis  . 

No. 5 Gamecocks Host No. 12 Florida On Saturday

April 6, 2018

No. 12 Florida at No. 5 South Carolina

Match Info

Host: No. 5 South Carolina

Opponent: No. 12 Florida

Date: April 7

Start Time: 8 a.m. ET

Location: Columbia, S.C.

Venue: Carolina Tennis Center

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Looking to continue their historic SEC winning streak, the first-place Gamecocks (18-3, 10-0 SEC) host the second-place and reigning NCAA national champion Florida Gators at the Carolina Tennis Center on Saturday.

South Carolina is in the midst of a historic season, holding a 13-match winning streak for the first time since 1979-80 and starting the SEC season in first place at 10-0 for the first time in program history.

The team is coming off a successful weekend at home, sweeping Missouri and No. 48 Arkansas on Thursday and Saturday without dropping a set in the process. The wins secured first and second round byes for South Carolina in the 2018 SEC Tournament, along with a guaranteed Top 4 finish in the league.

South Carolina is 2-44 all-time against Florida and has not defeated the Gators since 1982. The last time these two teams met, Florida earned a 4-0 victory on March 11, 2017 in Gainesville, Fla.

A free Wimbledon-style breakfast with sweet blueberry biscuits, strawberries and cream, coffee and mock-mosas will be available for fans who attend Saturday’s match.

QUOTABLE

“Florida is always a very tough squad and we expect nothing less of the Gators this year. They have steadily been playing better tennis throughout the SEC season, so we expect a very competitive match. The most important thing for us to do is to focus on what we do well and make sure we are bringing everything we have to the match.”– Head Coach Kevin Epley

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

  • Ten wins in the SEC are the most the for the Gamecocks in program history. The 1995-96 team set the previous record of nine that was equaled by the 2015-16 squad.
  • The team’s 10-match SEC winning streak is also the longest in program history by four matches with the previous longest streak being six matches.
  • The Gamecocks’ current No. 5 ranking from Oracle/ITA is the highest in program history. The team finished the 1982-83 season ranked at No. 6 after achieving a 22-5 overall record.
  • South Carolina joins 10 other SEC schools in the Top 50 team rankings announced on April 3. In the league, the Gamecocks trail just Vanderbilt, which ranks at No. 2.
  • The Gamecocks’ 13-match winning streak is the second-longest in program history behind the 1980 team’s 22-match win streak.
  • The Gamecocks have won nine doubles points in 10 SEC matches this season. Their sole loss in doubles came against Georgia on March 18.
  • In doubles, Gamarra Martins and Horvit have won four straight matches and lead the team at 8-1 in SEC play.
  • Hadley Berg’s 22-5 singles record this season has her at 96-32 overall, four wins shy of 100 on her career, with a winning percentage of .750 that ranks seventh in school history. She is looking to become just the fourth player in school history with 100 wins.
  • With 96 career singles wins, Berg is tied with Natasa Vuckovic for fifth on the South Carolina career singles wins list.
  • This season marks the first time in program history the Gamecocks have ever opened SEC play at 10-0 and is the first time South Carolina went undefeated in SEC road play. The previous best start was 6-0 in 2015-16.
  • The Gamecocks have amassed nine sweeps this season: Oklahoma, Clemson, North Florida, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 35 Texas A&M, Missouri and No. 48 Arkansas.
  • South Carolina is 8-2 against ranked opponents this season, including wins at No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 11 Texas, No. 35 Texas A&M, No. 36 LSU, No. 30 Tennessee, No. 8 Georgia, No. 15 Auburn and No. 48 Arkansas. The Gamecocks hold a seven-match winning streak against ranked opponents dating back to March 3 at Ole Miss.
  • The Gamecocks are 10-0 at home this season and 4-0 in SEC play at home.
  • The Gamecocks went undefeated in the month of march for the first time since the 1979-80 season.
  • Paige Cline holds a five-match win streak in SEC play dating back to her win over Alexa Bortles at No. 7 Ole Miss on March 3.
  • Rachel Rohrabacher is 11-0 in 2018 singles play and holds a 12-match winning streak dating back to Jan. 14, 2018 at Florida Gulf Coast University.
  • Ranked in singles: Hadley Berg (31), Ingrid Gamarra Martins (60), Megan Davies (120)
  • Ranked in doubles: Megan Davies/Silvia Chinellato (65), Paige Cline and Ingrid Gamarra Martins (76), Paige Cline and Hadley Berg (79)

SCOUTING NO. 12 FLORIDA

  • Florida has one loss in SEC play this season, falling to Georgia on March 16.
  • The Gators are the reigning NCAA National Champions, and finished the season at 29-3 overall and 11-2 in conference play. They defeated No. 6 Stanford, 4-1, in the championship match to secure the title.
  • The doubles tandems of McCartney Kessler and Josie Kuhlman and Anna Danilina and Victoria Emma have been the most productive for the Gators this season at 13-6 and 12-4, respectively.
  • Ranked in singles: Anna Danilina (18), Josie Kuhlman (48), Brooke Austin (54)
  • Ranked in doubles: Anna Danilina and Victoria Emma (13)
  • Danilina owned a seven-match winning streak before losing to No. 1 Bianca Turati of Texas in straight sets on April 1.
  • Peggy Porter has been a consistent point for Florida at No. 5 singles. She is 9-4 in dual match play and 8-4 at No. 5 singles.
  • Florida owned a five-match winning streak before falling to No. 7 Texas on April 1. The Gamecocks defeated Texas at ITA Indoors, 4-2, on Feb. 10.
  • Roland Thornqvist is in his 17th season as the head coach of the Gators, leading the team to four NCAA titles in 2003, 2011, 2012 and 2017.

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

The Gamecocks will continue their five-match homestand with the last two matches of the regular season next weekend against No. 12 Vanderbilt at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and No. 28 Kentucky at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Saturday’s match against Kentucky will include Senior Day celebrations for Hadley Berg.

The Gamecocks are 13-22 all-time against Vanderbilt and lost the last two matchups with the Commodores in 2017. The Gamecocks won the last meeting between the teams, 4-3, at the Carolina Tennis Center on March 10, 2016. Against Kentucky, South Carolina holds a 23-15 all-time series advantage and a five-match winning streak dating back to April 11, 2014.

For updates, continue to check back with GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team on social media (@GamecockWTennis).

Related stories